Misadventures in Babysitting
by AriandEzra
Summary: What happens when Aria and Ezra need to babysit his 6 year old niece? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! So basically, I needed a break from TWILY. It's a little more dramatic than lighthearted and I figured with all this Jason and Aria crap, I needed to write something a little more fun (plus I'm not getting a huge response unlike Reunited.) I had this idea floating around in my head while visiting my cousins in Denver, so I figured, why not write it out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Dex, Sabrina, and Bridget.**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review (seriously people!) 3  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Ezra please? Just this once!"<p>

Ezra walked around his apartment, phone cradled between his ear and shoulder. He began to clear up papers and books, trying to make the small space presentable for Aria, although she didn't care much, all the while listening to his older brother plead with him to babysit his 6 year old daughter.

"Dex, this happened the last time, and Bridget ended up trashing my dorm room! Besides, Aria's coming over tonight…"

"She was 4 years old! She's older now, she knows better. Besides, she loves her Uncle Ezra and hasn't seen you since Christmas. Please, it would mean a lot to Sabrina and I."

He sighed a bit, but remembered the adorable little girl's face. Bridget really did love him, and he never really did get to spend time with her. He didn't think Aria would have such a problem with it. Babysitting could be somewhat of an adventure for them both.

"Fine Dex, I'll babysit. Is it okay if Aria comes over though too? I'm sure she'd love to meet you and the family."

"Of course! Anything to embarrass my little brother in front of his 17 year old girlfriend." Ezra could hear Dex smile teasingly through the phone. The two Fitz brothers had always been close, so when Ezra knew he was in love with Aria, he told Dex. His brother's initial reaction was much like Hardy's, but as soon as he saw how happy Ezra was with Aria in his life, he let it go.

"Haha, very funny. Remind me why you need babysitting again."

"Sabrina's sorority sister's wedding in Philly. You can't take it back now Ezra. We're already on the road."

"You really think I'd withdraw my offer to babysit my niece with my girlfriend? I'm hurt. What time do you think you'll be here around?"

"Probably around 4. Sabrina is getting ready at the hotel and all I have to do it put on a monkey suit and comb back my hair. Is that good?"

"Yeah, it's fine. See you later."

After exchanging goodbyes, Ezra punched in the familiar numbers of Aria's cell phone number. Luckily after the one year they had been together and the one year he had been teaching at Hollis, her parents came to terms with their relationship as did the town. In fact, their romance really wasn't as much of a big deal as it had been in the first days of going public. Sometimes they got the occasional stare, but people treated them as a normal couple.

She answered on the first ring. "Hey babe." She sounded distracted as she spoke. "Yes Han, it's Ezra," he heard her say to her friend n the background; laughing at the extra emphasis she put on his name. "No you can't say hi."

"Sorry about that. Hanna's being herself as usual. Ouch, what was that for," she heard her yelp. Ezra could hear faint traces of Hanna's reply.

"Aria, is this a bad time? I could just call you or text?"

"No, Ezra it fine, I'm just going to leave the room. DO NOT FOLLOW ME HANNA," he heard her exclaim and he chuckled. Hanna was definitely the gossip queen of her little clique. "Ok, sorry. I'm rearranged in the bathroom. Don't laugh. It's the only place where Hanna can't get in. What's up?"

"Do you mind if we have an extra guest on our date tonight?"

"It depends on who you mean by date? Another woman, no," she said laughing.

"Well, if you classify my 6 year old niece as a woman, I guess we should just call it off." Ezra laughed as he went along with her play.

"Ezra Fitz, are we babysitting tonight?"

"I take that as a yes," he stated but it sounded more like a question. Ezra nervously tapped his finger on his kitchen counter. He was actually looking forward to having Aria babysitting with him that night. It'd be a trial of some sorts; a trial of how life we be like with their own children down the road.

"Yes! What time should I be over? What are we going to do with her? What's her name?" Aria continued to probe him with questions, but she couldn't help it. She had grown excited! Babysitting with Ezra would be an interesting task.

"Be at my place around 3:45. She'll be there around 4. Her name is Bridget, my brother Dex's daughter. We'll figure out what to do with her when she gets here I guess. How hard can it be?"

"Ezra, have you ever babysat before." Her voice grew serious and a bit taunting.

"Umm, once. For Bridget when she was 4. It was…interesting."

"What did she trash your dorm room or something?"

"Yes. But it wasn't my fault! Hardy had riled her up!" He heard her laugh from the other end of the phone.

"Lucky for you, I am an expert babysitting. A note to you darling, but I would never let Hardy, children, and sugar mix. It sounds like a deadly combination." Both Aria and Ezra fell into laughter until Hanna began to pound on Aria's bathroom door.

"Aria! I swear, if you're having phone sex in there…"

"Han, shut up! I'm coming right now," Ezra heard Aria shout.

Hanna's laugh sounded from the other side of the door. "You're coming."

Aria sighed and smacked her forehead. A blush crept over her face, and she could sense the same was happening with her boyfriend on the other end of the line. "Real funny Hanna," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Sorry, Hun. I've got to go before Hanna barges down the door. Love you!"

"Love you too! See you at 3:45."

Both Aria and Ezra hung up their phones. Aria emerged from her bathroom to find a waiting Hanna with her ear pressed against the door. She nearly lost balance when Aria pushed open the wooden door.

"Was it hot?"

"If you consider talking about plans to babysit his niece tonight a turn on, then yes.

"Babysitting with Fitzy! How cute!" Hanna trailed Aria back to her room, and flopped down on her trundle day bed. She began to flip open a Vogue magazine laying on the end table, but decided to question Aria continuously about the little girl she'd be meeting that night.

_This should be an interesting "date". _

* * *

><p><strong>Heehee, oh Hanna! You and your jokes! So let me know what you think of this and if I should continue! Any ideas on what they should do with Bridget are welcome!<strong>

**Please leave me feedback! I love getting reviews and they mean so much! It only takes a few moments, and to those silent readers, I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! Don't be shy!**

**Have a good July 4th, if you're in the USA!**

**love always, **

**.soprano.**_  
><em>


	2. You're pretty You should be President

**WoW! I got a great response to the first chapter! I love you guys for reading! I'm not going to make this author's note too long up here at the top so we can get the story started!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PLL, only Dex, Sabrina, and Bridget.**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review!**

* * *

><p>True to her word, and Ezra's time frame, Aria knocked on apartment 3B's door at precisely 3:45. Her mind whirred with thoughts and prediction for the night ahead. It would certainly be different than her and Ezra's typical date nights. Tonight wouldn't be a movie and some take out. Tonight, from what she could gather from past experiences, would be children's books, finger paints, and any other play thing under the sun.<p>

Aria had dressed in dark jeans, a wildly patterned blouse and lace up boots. She had wanted to maintain her typical style, yet wanted her outfit to give her the appearance of being open and friendly towards the little girl who was so closely related to Ezra. Aria had no idea why she was so nervous. It was babysitting for God's sake. With Ezra. It should be the most comfortable task in the world; a task that would give a glimpse to her and Ezra in the future. But still, she fumbled with her hands, dropped her phone, smoothed down her hair.

Ezra opened his door after the first knock. "Hey," he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. It was such a feeling of relief to be able to kiss in the middle of his hallway without thinking of the consequences. "You ready," he asked her and he ushered her inside his little apartment.

"Are you kidding? Let's get this show on the road," she said a bit too enthusiastically, almost hitting Ezra in the face as she threw her hands up. "Oops, sorry," she blushed and rose up on tippy toe to kiss the spot where her hand had brushed his nose.

Aria looked around Ezra's apartment, which was cluttered but looked like it had been child proofed. His half melted candles had been stored away, and his famed Shakespeare bobble head was put on the highest shelf. The doors to his usually open humungous book self had been closed so Bridget wouldn't hit her head and all the paperwork that cluttered Ezra's desk had been stored away. Even the typewriter had been put out of reach.

"Is this what the apartment will look like when we have kids," Aria asked, winding her arms around his torso.

"No," he said, and Aria looked at him shocked. _Does he not want kids or something?_ "Hopefully, when we have children, we won't be living in Rosewood, maybe in New York, and our apartment will be much bigger with 3 rooms instead of a studio." He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Sounds good, Mr. Fitz. I think something of that nature could be arranged. Just give me a few years. Say, well a few."

"I'll wait for you as long as you want me to. That is if you still want me," he teased. Aria raised her hand and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Ow, what was that for?"

"Don't ever say things like that. Of course I'll still want you. You're my Ezra," she said, all traces of mocked hurt gone from her face and she leaned up to press her lips against his. The kiss grew passionate, but Ezra pulled away before it could lead to anything more.

"And you're my Aria." He unwrapped her from his arms, and took her hand, leading her over to the couch. She sat with her back against the arms of the couch, and Ezra took her feet and placed them over his lap.

"So tell me more about Bridget. I'd love to know about her before I meet her," Aria said smiling at him.

He told her everything he possibly could in the 10 minutes they had left before his family would be knocking on his door. Ezra told her about Bridget's vast knowledge as a 6 year old, mainly to thank from her parents who were Stanford graduates, her obsession with dolls and cookies. He listed everything he could possibly remember before the knock on the door disturbed their conversation.

"They're here," Aria said tauntingly and pressed a kiss to Ezra's lips.

"I'll get the door." He walked the small footage to where his front door stood and pulled it back to reveal a sweatshirt clad Dex Fitz, and a bouncing Bridget grasping onto his hand.

"Hey little bro! I missed you," said the elder Fitz pulling Ezra into a hug. "You really should've stayed in New York when you had the chance. Why did you leave again," he asked, but by then, Aria had come to stand besides Ezra in the doorway. "Ah, I see why now. Hi, I'm Dex, Ezra's older brother."

Aria flashed him a smile. "It's nice to meet you Dex, I'm Aria. It's so great to finally meet part of Ezra's family."

"Have you ever thought of being president? You're pretty enough for the job," spoke the little girl staring intently at Aria.

"Bridget! How you doing kiddo," said Ezra, laughing having finally noticed the little girl. She giggled as he lifted her up into his arms and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Hi Uncle Ezra," she giggled and held onto his neck a little tighter. "Who's she," Bridget asked pointing to Aria.

"Bridget it's not nice to point…," trailed off Dex.

"I don't mind Dex. It was purely innocent. Hi sweetie, my name is Aria. I'm your Uncle Ezra's girlfriend." Bridget looked at Aria for a moment, before breaking out into a huge smile.

"I'm Bridget Fitz. And seriously, have you wanted to be president. I'm sure you'd look great on campaign posters!"

Aria laughed at the little girl nestled in her boyfriend's arms. She was immediately sure he'd be a good father from the way her cradled her small body.

"No Bridget. I'm actually interested in English and writing. Have_ you _ever wanted to be president? You're so pretty that I'm sure people would _have _to vote for you." Aria was right though. A closer look at Bridget would reveal rare sparkling green eyes and vivid red hair. _Her mother must be Irish. _

Bridget blushed, but plowed straight forward with her introductions. "So, if you're Uncle Ezra's girlfriend that means you're my Auntie Aria, right?"

"Of course," Aria said sweetly.

"Alright, I've got to get going before Sabrina gets off the phone and comes charging up here! We have to be at the hotel in an hour and, from what I remember, it takes a long time to get from here to Philly. Damn Ezra, why'd you have to teach at such a far off town," Dex joked.

"Daddy, that's a bad word." Bridget crossed her hands over her chest and pouted, causing both Aria and Ezra to laugh.

"Sorry Princess, I mean shoot," said Dex giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Mommy and I have to go now, but we'll see you in the morning! Have a fun time with Uncle Ezra."

"And Auntie Aria," said Bridget proudly. "Daddy, I like her better than that Jackie lady already." Aria could feel her heart swell a little bit at the overwhelming response she was already getting from Bridget. Ezra could only smile down warmly at his niece. He felt elated that she had taken a liking so quickly to Aria. It really said something. It took almost to the end of his and Jackie's relationship for Bridget to warm up to her. She liked Jackie even better when she broke up with her uncle. Dex shot Ezra a wink, and after his goodbyes, Ezra carried Bridget into his apartment and closed the door.

"So, what do you want to do now," Aria asked, bending down to Bridget's height as Ezra set her on the ground. _She's going to be an excellent mother. _"Anything in particular?"

"Could we bake cookies?"

"Cookies," repeated Ezra going into his kitchenette and rifling through the fridge. "I don't have anything to make them with, but we could go out and buy some cookie dough," he offered.

"No, not cookie dough. From scratch! That's how Mommy and I make them."

"Bridget, I'm not sure you'd want your Uncle Ezra to help you bake," Aria joked.

"I'm not _that_ bad," Ezra protested while going through his pantry. He had nothing, absolutely nothing, to bake cookies from scratch with. Is there anything else you'd like to do?"

"No, I want to bake cookies."

"Ezra, I'm sure we could make a quick run to the grocery store and pick up a few ingredients. What harm could it be," asked Aria, coming over the wrap her arms around Ezra's torso. "Please, do it for Bridget. Look at that face."

She motioned to the puppy dog pout Bridget now wore. Ezra melted at the sight. "Fine. Come on girls," he said throwing on his jacket and grabbing his wallet and keys.

"Yay! It'll be just like a field trip," announced Bridget triumphantly as she made her way to the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! I've gotten such a good response, and you know; the more reviews, the more motivated I feel. And the more motivated I feel, the quicker you get updates!<strong>

**I'd like to give a huge thanks to psh_you_wish94 (pen name is XxLadyStrengthxX) for her help with all the babysitting ideas (aka the president quote…a little girl she's babysat said the exact same thing). She's been feeding me tons babysitting stories that I can use :D**

**The idea for baking goes to SolitudeMyLove!**

**Any ideas for their "field trip" would be appreciated!**

**Review!**

**Love always, **

**.soprano.**


	3. Hula Lessons and Loud Comments

**I'm not going to bother you with a long authors note at the top, because I know you're all dying to get to the chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own PLL :( but I do own Bridget**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review!**

* * *

><p>The drive to the downtown Hollis grocery wasn't quiet in the least. Bridget had made sure to pack her array of Disney Princess cd's for any car rides, no matter how long the length was. Currently, she and Aria were singing their hearts out to "Part of Your World" while Ezra kept his eyes glued to the road rather than stare at his girlfriend. He couldn't believe how quick it had taken Bridget to warm up to Aria, but in the two minutes before they left the apartment, she'd already latched herself onto Aria's leg. He loved listening to Aria's voice as well. If she couldn't turn a profit with writing {something he didn't believe in the slightest}, she could definitely earn some money as a singer.<p>

Aria smiled silently to herself as the lyrics to Alan Menken's famed song from _The Little Mermaid _poured into the air from her mouth. She looked to Ezra, mentally laughing at how alert he looked, staring at the road ahead of him. She grasped his hand resting on the dashboard, and squeezed, causing him to look at her and smile. Resting her head on the headrest, Aria let herself drift off into a fantasy.

She began to envision Central Park, Ezra standing next to her, holding her hand. They both were looking onto a playground, her eyes satisfied when they landed upon a little girl, of maybe 4 or 5, winding her way down a green swirly slide.

She had hair the color of Aria's, except a little redder {maybe Ezra's Irish heritage had come into play there}, and eyes the same shade as Ezra's. She had Aria's wide set eyes, and Ezra's nose. In a much broader description, she was beautiful. Before any speaking could occur between the three of them, the three who were so clearly the Fitz family, she was disrupted by a present voice.

"Auntie Aria, we're here!" Bridget quickly unbuckled herself, without any help and pushed open her door before Aria and Ezra even had a chance to get their bearings.

"Bridget, please wait for your Aunt and I," warned Ezra as he unbuckled himself and unlocked the door. "The last thing I want is to lose you in downtown Hollis. You're parents would kill me," he joked, nervously running a hand through his hair. He'd always done well children, but wanting to impress Aria with them was another deal.

"Don't worry! I won't," Bridget said, hopping out of the car and came to stand by his door, waiting patiently it to open.

Within 5 minutes, the trio made their entrance to the smaller sized grocery store. It was maybe half the size of the local Rosewood food store, but from the looks of it, Aria concluded that they had just about everything.

"Bridget, please don't stand on that end of the shopping cart," Aria warned the little girl who was standing on the end on the shopping cart, rather than at the handle.

"Why not? Mommy lets me do it."

"Are you sure about that," asked Ezra, giving her a glance. He knew that his sister in law was one of _the _most safety conscious people in the world.

"No," said Bridget, keeping her head down and hopped off. "So first we need flour!" Her face broke back into a smile as she declared the ingredients. "Uncle Ezra, you should go get the flour! I need to show Auntie Aria something."

"O—okay. You'll be alright with her?"

"I'll be fine! We'll meet where the chocolate chips are when we're done," she said giving him a kiss.

Bridget ended leading Aria to the fruit section of the supermarket. "See these pineapples," she said motioning to the fruit. "They had these when Mommy and Daddy and I had a hula lesson in Hawaii. Can I teach you how to hula?"

"Here? Right now? I'm not sure if this is th-,"

"Oh please Auntie Aria! It'll only take a few minutes and you'll be a pro!" Bridget began to pout, and it was the famous Fitz pout she's always seen on Ezra's face. It was something she had trouble saying no to.

"Oh, okay," she sighed. "Just for a few minutes."

Bridget showed Aria how to hold her arms and move her hips, and it was actually pretty simple. Obviously, the 6 year old had learned the easy version rather than the intense hip shaking in those authentic Hawaiian shows. Ezra had finished looking for flour, and poked his head around the corner and smiled at the sight. Aria noticed his gaze by then, and stopped, blushing and pushing a lock of hair back.

"Hey Bridget, there's Uncle Ezra! Let's go pick out chocolate chips with him! If we're lucky, maybe we can get him to buy the really expensive kind!"

"Oh those ones are yummy," exclaimed the little girl and took Aria's hand, skipping over to where her uncle stood. "Uncle Ezra? Can we get the expensive chocolate chips?"

"Bridget! You're not supposed to ask him!"

"Oops, sorry," she said covering her mouth. She shook her head and spoke again. "Forget I said that. Erase it!" By then, Ezra had picked her up and she mussed up his hair thinking it would "erase" her comment.

"So, I'm guessing we're making chocolate chip cookies. Why not use Nestl-,"

Ezra stopped in his tracks, eyes widening. "Ezra, what's wrong?" Aria concerned voice didn't seem to register with him at all. Bridget's eyes seemed to widen, but a glimmer of playfulness sparked in them.

"Turn around," said Ezra's voice, hard like stone.

"Why?"

"Because-,"

"Hi Ezra!" The voice belonged to a brunette who Aria placed to be Jackie. Jackie Molina, Ezra's ex-fiancée. Someone whom she didn't get along with very well. Screw very well, they didn't get along at all. "Bridget! I haven't seen you in the longest time! How are you," she said coming closer to the trio. "Oh, and Aria. It's…not…well, actually…Hi."

"It's ok Jackie. You really don't have to be nice to me. It's not very nice to see you too," Aria replied, her temper flaring. Over the past year, Jackie had been nothing but a pain in the ass. There were numerous attempts, led by her, to break the couple up. For the next few moments, Aria and Bridget watched Jackie flirt shamelessly with Ezra, while he himself looked uncomfortable and continued trying to find the right chocolate chips.

Aria found it hysterical, the way Jackie didn't seem to a. get the fact Ezra was in love with someone else and b. didn't really care that she was flirting with him. Bridget on the other hand, got fed up and finally spoke.

"Face it Jackie. You'll never be as sexy as my Auntie Aria," she said proudly and turned to Ezra and Aria, who had looks of shock and were trying to choke back laughter at Bridget's choice of words. "I learned that from Mommy when she was going through her closet with Grandma trying to find an outfit for the wedding!"

"Well, I…I've got to get going," said a flustered Jackie, who gave Aria a death glare before leaving the aisle. Finally, this allowed Aria and Ezra to break into hysterics.

"Bridget, do me a favor," said Ezra giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Never use that word again."

* * *

><p><strong>I love you all for reading and reviewing! I'm really excited by the way everyone has been responding to the story!<strong>

**Once again, a big thanks to psh_you_wish94 (XxLadyStrengthxX) for their help!**

**I have a bit of news though. I hope you all are sitting down and are able to not hate me and forgive me for what I'm about to tell you. You may or may not have noticed that I deleted "The Way I Loved You". Well, I did. Now, please don't hate me, but I had to cancel it. I felt like it wasn't going anywhere and it felt more like a task than something enjoyable. **

**I didn't think it was fair to have you guys read something that I didn't feel had my best effort put into, nor did I think it was fair to put it on hiatus and keep you all waiting. **

**I also stopped with it because I have so many other plots that I can do great things with and TWILY postponed me from working on them. But that should be a relief to all of you because I'm not going to stop writing! I have a whole slew of Ezria plots just waiting for me to start working on once I'm finished with this! **

**I'll still have "What If" and both "Fragments of a Romance's" so don't worry about those :D**

**I really hope you all won't hate me and keep reading my work, because you all are the best readers ever and I love you! I wouldn't have the courage to keep putting my writing out here to read if I didn't have the support I get from you guys!**

**Please Review! **

**Love always, **

**.soprano.**


	4. Cookie Baking Gone Wrong

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Boohoo.**

Cookie baking didn't go over as well as Aria and Ezra had planned. Rather than those perfectly cooked; firm around the edges, but mushy and warm on the inside, they were burnt to a crisp. And it wasn't even the ruined cookies that were an issue, but so was the baking process. Flour dusted every counter-top in the kitchenette, as well as the three of their noses and faces.

Aria had felt somewhat ashamed; she was the cook out of her and Ezra. The cookies shouldn't have been burnt. It was done under her supervision; she'd only let Ezra crack the eggs because it was only cooking task he seemed to do without flaw. But, she'd gotten distracted by arts and crafts with her boyfriend and niece. In the hour that the cookies were in the oven, Aria had made 7 bracelets for Bridget and Ezra had colored in half a Disney Princess coloring book.

He, on the other hand, found the cookie ordeal laughable. Although Bridget seemed to be a tad upset earlier when the cookies had first emerged from the oven, she'd quickly forgotten about them, drifting back to arts and crafts. Aria was upset though, and Ezra couldn't help but think how adorable she looked with her little pout.

"Well, we really shouldn't have bought the Ghirardelli chips, should've we," Ezra tried joking, poking Aria lightly in the side with his elbow.

"They're ruined." She looked longingly at the oven, and then at the garbage. "Bridget, aren't you upset about the cookies? Uncle Ezra isn't," Aria said with a teasing smile directed towards Ezra.

"No," the 6 year old called cheerily from the couch. "But I am hungry. Could we go to the park for a picnic?"

"Is that what you would want to do for dinner rather than go to The Grille? I know how much you love their French Fries." Ezra tried to reason with his niece; it wasn't that he didn't want to go to the park, but it was that from previous experience he knew Bridget would get riled up.

"Well, how about we pick up the French Fries from The Grille and then take them to the park?" She wasn't going to give up. Ezra sighed.

"Okay then, we'll make a quick stop at The Grille and the head over to the park. What do you say to that, Aria?"

Aria, who had become interested in flipping through a book on Ezra's enormous book shelf, didn't hear him at first, but kept pushing through pages of "A Farewell to Arms." "Aria?"

"Hmm," she said, tearing her eyes away and looking up. "What's up?"

"I was thinking for dinner we could pick something up at The Grille and take it to the park."

"That was my idea first, Uncle Ezra," interjected Bridget. "Fix it."

"Sorry," Ezra said, laughing and ruffling Bridget's hair. "_Bridget _thought that it would be fun to get her favorite French Fries and take them over to the park."

"Sounds good," Aria said, setting the book next to her bag of over-night clothes; Ezra usually let her take home whatever books she wanted to read, just as long as she brought them back. "But you can't only have French Fries, Bridget. Okay?"

"Okay," said the 6 year old, nodding. "Let's go!" She gathered both Aria and Ezra's hands and pulled them towards the door.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to get a little something up for you guys. It's been so rough with Ezria the past few weeks, so I wanted to give you guys a chapter to make up for it. I'm going to also be starting a full story tonight; I just have to choose my plot line.**

**Review! I'll love you forever!**

**I promise next chapter will be fun!  
><strong>


End file.
